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Goat events continue at MTSU

Colleen Johnson-Bryant
Published 10:40 p.m. CT Oct. 3, 2014

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Kylee Anderson, 4, receives words of encouragement from Brian Faris of Kansas State University, the judge for the Junior Meat Goat Classic, after her trip into the competition ring.(Photo: Tom Beckwith/DNJ)Buy Photo

MURFREESBORO – Participants from across the state gathered on a cool Friday evening at MTSU’s Tennessee Livestock Center for the fourth annual Heart of Tennessee Junior Meat Goat Classic, the “Super Bowl” of goat competitions.

The participants filled the stalls outside the Livestock Center as they bathed, trimmed, clipped and prepared their goats for the showmanship competitions. Country music blared in the background and the newly primped goats bleated in their stalls as the children dashed off to clean up and look their best for the judges.

“It takes a lot of work (to get these goats ready),” said 10-year-old John Buyrl-Neely, an enthusiastic, towheaded Middle Tennessee Christian School fifth-grader, dressed to impress with an oversized, shiny, silver belt buckle that he won at last year’s Junior Meat Goat Classic. “But it is so worth it.”

Buyrl-Neely, who has been showing goats, sheep and pigs since he was 5 years old, admits he has a competitive streak and likes to win, but he said he also has “a lot of fun making friends” while also learning “responsibility and a good work ethic.”

Several other participants agreed that camaraderie was a big reason they loved traveling and showing their goats throughout the year.

The event began Friday afternoon with weigh-ins, registration, and showmanship competitions for several different age groups and runs through Saturday evening.

Saturday will be a full day with a variety of goat shows beginning at 9 a.m. Various events, including a “skillathon” to test and reward participants’ technical goat knowledge, a Halloween costume contest for both goats and owners, an adult showmanship competition, a family supper and sale of the winning goats, will end with a presentation of awards.

All of Saturday’s events are fee and open to the public.

The Junior Meat Goat Classic is the last goat competition of the year, following various events held throughout the state during the summer, particularly county fairs. Organizers describe it as “the culmination of the efforts of the young exhibitors, their families, and educational advisers.”

Spirits were high and excitement palpable as children, all dressed in button-down shirts, dark jeans, big belt buckles and boots, led their goats into a large show ring of straw and decorated for fall with pumpkins, mums, tall dried cornstalks, bales of hay and red, white, and blue flags.

“It’s catching on more and more every year,” said Buyrl-Neely’s dad, Johnny Neely, as he sat in the stands waiting to watch his son’s competition. “The kids love it.”

Every child in attendance participates in 4-H, a youth program overseen by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the USDA. Each child knows about every aspect of caring for a goat and takes this role as goat caretaker seriously. They worked all summer caring for the animals to prepare them for the shows.

“I like to work with animals,” said Paige Rowlett, a sophomore at Stewarts Creek High School, who says she is a part of the organization “mostly for fun and to hang out and get to know other kids from all over the state.”